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Business Recorder
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
India's suspension of Indus Waters Treaty
As an aftermath of the Pahalgam incident in which 26 tourists were killed, India initiated a series of aggressive diplomatic actions, which among other retaliatory measures, suspended the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), which governs the distribution of river waters between India and Pakistan. The suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty brings into question the legitimacy of India's action, considering the following: • India initiated this action immediately after the incident with no credible evidence of Pakistan's involvement in the Pahalgam tragedy. This points towards the intention of exploiting the incident scenario to build up a case for the suspension of the treaty. • The Indus Waters Treaty is between three parties — India, Pakistan and World Bank as a third-party guarantor. India took this decision unilaterally, which infringes on the sanctity of the treaty and on the rights of Pakistan and World Bank by sidelining them. • The treaty between India and Pakistan incorporates a mechanism for dispute resolution and a clause of arbitration, with the World Bank as a third-party guarantor and a referee. In case of disputes, this is prescribed channel to register disputes. Suspension of the treaty is not an option to be exercised. Considering the above three facts, the act of India of unilaterally suspending the treaty lacks legitimacy and is unlikely to hold ground when challenged in the International Court of Arbitration. Furthermore, the suspension of the treaty by India is an irresponsible act, which in practical terms means that the treaty is now hanging in the air which provides each party an opportunity to blatantly infringe on the water rights of the other, thereby potentially escalating into military confrontations with severe consequences. Ever since the removal of Article 370 in 2019, the next agenda for the Modi government has been to bring around changes in the Indus Waters Treaty to its advantage. It has been pressing hard for it since the last few years but was frustrated with silence from Pakistan on the issue. The Pahalgam incident has provided India an opportunity to fast-track the process. The suspension of Indus Waters Treaty has also been exploited by India in feeding its people with an additional narrative for Pakistan basing. 'We will ensure no drop of the Indus River water reaches Pakistan,' India's water resources minister, Chandrakant Raghunath Paatil, said on X. The Indian nation is now echoing the slogan: 'Not a drop of water for Pakistan', provoking the sentiments of the people of Pakistan. The Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960 by India and Pakistan with the World Bank as a third-party guarantor, is an agreement that regulates the water distribution of the Indus River and its tributaries, which are crucial for both countries. The treaty survived multiple conflicts between the two nations, and it is often held up as an example of successful international water-sharing agreements. Unilaterally suspending the treaty could raise questions under international law, particularly given the treaty's endorsement by the World Bank. Agreements under international water laws are expected to be honoured unless both parties consent to amendments. Unilateral suspension could potentially bring the issue to international forums such as the International Court of Justice or arbitration under international frameworks. In a letter written immediately after the Pahalgam incident, by the Indian Secretary of the Ministry of Water to her counterpart in Pakistan's Ministry of Water Resources, the Indian government has officially informed Pakistan about the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty. Among many other reasons cited for suspension, the Indian government's notice linked the decision to national security concerns and the cross-border terrorism that allegedly happens from Pakistan's soil. India's attempt is to open the Indus Waters Treaty to renegotiation to gain concessions out of Pakistan by intimidating it and on the strength of its newly acquired economic strength and geopolitical influence. There is a sound and well substantiated basis available with Pakistan to challenge the legalities of the unilateral and aggressive action of suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty by India in the International Court of Justice or arbitration under international frameworks. Understandably, as the dust settles, Pakistan and India will have to come to the negotiation table to revisit the Indus Waters Treaty in accordance with a certain clause of the treaty of 1960. Pakistan's success at the International Court of Justice or arbitration under international frameworks could land it at the negotiation table from the position of strength and may knock out some of the assumptions used by India to build up its case for renegotiating the treaty. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Al-Ahram Weekly
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Defending Sinai and Egypt an irrevocable pledge: El-Sisi
President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said on Friday that defending Sinai and protecting every inch of the homeland is an "irrevocable pledge and a firm principle" ingrained in the conscience of all Egyptians. Addressing the nation on the 43rd anniversary of Sinai Liberation Day, El-Sisi added that defending Sinai and the homeland was "a foundation of national security that cannot be compromised or relinquished." Sinai Liberation Day marks the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Sinai Peninsula in 1982 under the 1979 peace treaty. He described Sinai as "that pure spot on Egyptian soil, which has long been a target for greedy individuals and a symbol of steadfastness and sacrifice throughout history." The president went on to say that Sinai, as an integral part of Egypt, is "an unshakeable and inalienable truth," safeguarded by the will of its people and the courage of its army. El-Sisi also greeted the Egyptian Armed Forces for their sacrifices in defending the land and praised the police's efforts in combating terrorism in Sinai. "We salute the Egyptian Armed Forces, who sacrificed their lives defending our land and honour. We also salute the civilian police, who fought a fierce battle to eradicate terrorism from the precious land of Sinai," he stressed. Furthermore, the president also commended Egyptian diplomacy for its efforts in proving Egyptian sovereignty over Taba through international arbitration, calling it a "shining example" of national victories. Egypt restored sovereignty over the Red Sea city of Taba in South Sinai in 1988. Following an intense legal battle with Israel, the International Court of Arbitration concluded that Taba lay within Egyptian territory. "The Egyptian diplomacy and the national task force proved that rights are won through will, knowledge, and patience. They waged a pioneering legal battle," El-Sisi added. He reiterated that "just as the liberation of Sinai was a sacred duty, so too is the relentless pursuit of development in Egypt." "Today, we are witnessing unprecedented efforts everywhere in Egypt toward progress and building a modern state worthy of Egypt's value and history," El-Sisi added. Barrier against the Palestinian cause liquidation The president stated that the ongoing Israeli war in Gaza will go down in history for causing such widespread devastation and the shameful humanitarian tragedy it perpetrated, which claimed the lives of tens of thousands. He added that Egypt's "clear and unwavering position" has always been to call for a ceasefire, the release of hostages and detainees, and the provision of sufficient humanitarian aid to the Palestinians in Gaza.. Egypt, El-Sisi affirmed, has also firmly rejected any displacement of Palestinians from their land. "History has shown that Egypt stands as an impregnable barrier against attempts to liquidate the Palestinian cause," the president asserted. He emphasised that the reconstruction of war-ravaged Gaza must proceed according to the Arab-Islamic plan, without any displacement, to preserve the legitimate rights of the Palestinians and safeguard Egypt's national security. "We reiterate that just and comprehensive peace can only be achieved through establishing an independent Palestinian state per international law. This is the only true guarantee for ending cycles of violence and revenge and achieving lasting peace," El-Sisi continued. The president noted that the US-mediated 1979 peace treaty between Egypt and Israel serves "as a historical model for resolving conflicts and retaliatory tendencies, thereby consolidating peace and stability." He urged the international community, particularly the US and President Trump, to fulfil their expected role in this regard. Moreover, El-Sisi lauded Egyptians for their "sober vision and profound understanding of the significant challenges facing Egypt and the wider region," noting that such solidarity demonstrated the internal front's resilience to attempts to sow discord or destabilisation. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Al-Ahram Weekly
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Taba's return Egypt's final step in reclaiming Sinai - Egypt - Al-Ahram Weekly
Thirty-six years ago this month, on 19 March 1989, Egypt reclaimed the last piece of land that was still under Israeli occupation, the Red Sea city of Taba in South Sinai. Israel had refused to hand back Taba when it returned the Sinai Peninsula on 19 January 1982 as part of the 1979 Peace Treaty between the two countries. Israeli negotiators claimed that Taba was part of Israel, saying that the administrative border between Palestine and Egypt demarcated in October 1906 was ambiguous and that Israel was attempting to enforce a de facto situation by constructing two Israeli hotels in the city. However, after an intense two-year legal battle, the International Court of Arbitration concluded that Taba lay within Egyptian territory. The 1979 Peace Treaty states that signatory parties could resort to the International Court of Arbitration if direct negotiations failed to resolve disputes. 'Our military and diplomatic battles over the years amply demonstrate that Egypt will never give up an inch of its land,' Moufid Shehab, a member of the Taba National Committee and of the judicial defence panel that presented Egypt's case at the Geneva-based International Court of Arbitration, has been quoted as saying. Taba first fell under Israeli occupation in 1956 when, following the nationalisation of the Suez Canal, Israel joined England and France in attacking Egypt and occupied all of Sinai, only to be forced to withdraw in March 1957. Israel reoccupied Sinai again during the Six-Day War of June 1967. Between 1976 and 1982, 18 Israeli settlements were constructed in Sinai and a 400-room hotel was built in Taba. 'The Israelis thought they would never leave Sinai. They believed strongly that it was part of greater Israel,' says Shehab. A low-key ceremony accompanied Taba's liberation. The Israeli flag was lowered, and Israeli troops sang Israel's national anthem as they left Taba. Later, then-president Hosni Mubarak raised the Egyptian flag in Taba and celebrated the diplomatic victory with high-ranking officials and police forces. Taba's liberation from Israeli occupation sent a strong message to the world: Egypt would protect its land using every means available, be it armed conflict, as in the 1969-1970 War of Attrition and the 1973 October War, or political and diplomatic action, as in the Egyptian-Israeli separation of forces in 1974, the Camp David accords in 1978, and the return of Taba in 1989. * A version of this article appears in print in the 27 March, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Bloomberg
14-03-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Congo State Miner Must Pay €39 Million to AVZ in Lithium Dispute
An arbitration court ordered Congolese state miner Cominiere to pay €39.1 million ($42.6 million) to Australia's AVZ Minerals Ltd. for breaching emergency orders pausing the development of a disputed lithium deposit. The International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce made the decision on March 10, AVZ said in a statement on Friday.
Shafaq News
23-02-2025
- Business
- Shafaq News
Kurdistan's APIKUR ready to resume oil exports
Shafaq News/ The Association of the Petroleum Industry of Kurdistan (APIKUR) reaffirmed on Sunday its readiness to restart crude exports through the Iraq-Turkiye pipeline, provided that agreements between Baghdad and Erbil uphold existing contractual and economic terms for oil companies operating in the Kurdistan Region. The exports have been halted since March 2023 after the International Court of Arbitration ruled in favor of Iraq in a dispute over the Kurdish regional government's independent oil sales. "We seek written sales and lifting agreements, with the Government of Iraq and Kurdistan Regional Government, that provide payment transparency and surety without political interference," APIKUR said in a statement on X. As we have repeatedly stated, APIKUR member companies stand ready to resume oil exports through the Iraq-Türkiye pipeline, after agreements are reached that uphold our member companies existing contractual, commercial, and economic terms. We seek written sales and lifting… — APIKUR (@apikur_oil) February 22, 2025 The association also aligned with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, who, during a meeting in Baghdad on Saturday with Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani, stressed the urgency of resuming oil production and restoring exports through Turkiye's Ceyhan port. Iraq's Oil Ministry said on Saturday it had completed procedures to restart Kurdistan's oil exports via the Iraq-Turkiye pipeline, in accordance with the Budget Law and Iraq's OPEC quota. The ministry urged Kurdish authorities to deliver crude from operational fields to SOMO, the state oil marketer, under existing contracts. Baghdad and Erbil have long been at odds over oil revenue sharing. In 2014, the Kurdistan Region began independently exporting oil via a pipeline to Ceyhan, a move Baghdad denounced as "smuggling" and "robbery." The Iraqi government later filed a case against Turkiye at the International Court of Arbitration, accusing it of violating a 1973 pipeline agreement by facilitating Kurdish oil exports. While Baghdad insists all exports must go through the state-owned oil company, Kurdish authorities argue that independent sales were necessary to compensate for delayed budget payments from the federal government. Iraq suspended oil flows through the pipeline in March 2023 following the arbitration court's ruling in its favor.
